1. Field
The present invention relates to a contents receiving apparatus, and in particular, to a processing for displaying received contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
a contents receiving apparatus displays images on a display section, having a display screen, on which a user views images, and externally displays images by an image output section such that a person other than the user can view the images, regardless of whether or not the user can view the images, or the number of persons. An example of external display by the image output section is projection by a projector. The projector projects images on a screen or a wall other than the apparatus. For the projector, any light source may be used.
Another example of external display by the image output section is display by a large display section, for example, a liquid crystal display or a cathode-ray tube. The image output section may be incorporated into a housing of the apparatus or may be detachably mounted in the apparatus. The image output section may be connected to the apparatus in a wired or wireless manner. In transferring the images to the image output section in a wired or wireless manner, any protocol may be used.
The images include all the contents to be externally displayed. For example, still images or motion images may be used. The images may be images including only character strings. Image display includes reproduction display of stored images.
External display is used when the user (presenter) makes a presentation. External display is also used when the user views images. This is because, in the case of external display, images are displayed on a large scale, as compared with display on the display section, and thus images can be easily viewed. External display and display on the display section may be identical or different according to the user's intention, regardless of whether or not a person who views images to be externally displayed is the user or a person other than the user.
Images to be displayed are not limited to images stored in the apparatus, regardless of external display or display on the display section. That is, after the user sets display to be performed according to his/her intention, an image may be received by a communication section, and the received image may be displayed. A motion image, which is being received by the communication section, may be displayed. Display of a motion image being received is called streaming reproduction.
After an instruction to receive an image is input until the image can be displayed, it takes a time to receive the image. The same is applied to streaming reproduction. If a part of a motion image is received, and an unreceived portion of the motion image is predicted to be received after the received portion of the motion image is reproduced, it is determined that streaming reproduction can be started. That is, after an instruction to receive a motion image is input until display of the motion image by streaming reproduction starts, it takes a time to receive a part of the motion image.
A processing is known that, in order to reduce power consumption for display, disables display after an instruction to receive an image is input until the image can be displayed (for example, see JP-A-2002-261922 (p. 1 and FIG. 2)).
According to the method disclosed in JP-A-2002-261922, display is not performed after an instruction to receive an image is input until the image can be displayed, regardless of the amount of time. Accordingly, display is stopped even for a short time. Due to display stoppage for a short time, for example, several seconds, a person who views display feels a sense of discomfort. The same is applied to a change in brightness, in addition to display stoppage.
In any light source for the display section or the image output section, it takes a predetermined time to start display after display is stopped, or until high-luminance display is performed. In addition, power consumption is increased when display starts, as compared with when display is being performed. When display starts frequently, the lifetime of the light source may be shortened. For this reason, display stoppage for 10 minutes or less is not desirable. This disadvantage depending to the light source severely appears in an electric-discharge lamp, such as a mercury lamp.